Van der Poel tempers expectations for San Remo 2025 repeat
Mathieu van der Poel heads into Milan-Sanremo with form, confidence and history on his side. After dominating the race in recent years, the Dutchman believes he has what it takes to win again. But with Tadej Pogacar closing in and conditions set to play a role, nothing is set in stone, and he cautioned that fans should not expect the same spectacle as last year.
Van der Poel arrives in Italy as the favourite, and with good reason. He has dictated the last editions of the race, whether winning or deciding the outcome. And he started his season strongly with a commanding victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and impressed in Tirreno-Adriatico with two stage wins and a more than hour-long pull of the peloton in the final stage.
Now, he is chasing a third win, which would see him draw level with Oscar Freire and Roger De Vlaeminck, while still remaining a long way off Eddy Merckx’s seemingly untouchable record of seven victories.
The 31-year-old rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech looks ahead with confidence. “My condition is good enough to try and win again,” Van der Poel said to Gazzetta dello Sport. “I’m very satisfied with how I’ve prepared and with how I felt at Tirreno-Adriatico. I felt good on the climbs as well.”
“What we do there are basically race simulations and interval efforts at the highest level,” he said. “That extra intensity is something I find hard to replicate in training. Tirreno always helps me take that final step.”
Still, Van der Poel is cautious about drawing straight comparisons with last year’s race. The conditions then played a decisive role, particularly on the Cipressa.
“What happened in 2025 is not something you can repeat every year,” he said. “We had the perfect wind on the Cipressa and also towards the Poggio. If it had been a headwind, it would have been a completely different race. The same could apply this year.”
That uncertainty also shapes his view of Pogacar, who is once again expected to attack early. “The scenario will probably be what everyone expects,” Van der Poel said. “But San Remo always has its own story.”
That unpredictability is also what, in his view, sets the race apart from the other Monuments, particularly in how it finishes.
“That’s a difficult question,” he said when asked to compare the iconic finishes of Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
“The finishes of San Remo and Roubaix are iconic. No offense, but I don’t think the Tour of Flanders finish is at the same level in terms of setting. Still, it’s very challenging. The last 10km are wide and straight, and if you’re not at your best, they can feel endless.”
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